The hair and makeup at the Juan Carlos Obando Fall 2011 presentation was one of the most interesting I saw this season at NY Fashion Week. The makeup was ethereal and beautiful, keeping the face fresh and dewy looking. M.A.C. Face and Body foundation was used to even out the skin tone and sculpt the contours of the face. There was absolutely no powder used on the face to keep it looking radiant. The cheeks glowed with a peachy cream blush, with a little bit of shimmer. There was no eye makeup, except for a small amount of gold shimmer swept across the lids, which was mixed with serum to make it look shiny. The eyelashes were curled and left bare, and the brows were kept natural. The makeup look was glowing and sun-kissed, in a very delicate and fresh way with a bit of an otherworldly twist.

The hair look was a work of art. The idea came from a tribal inspiration, looking very raw and primitive. The hair was first brushed out with Fekkai Dry Shampoo to keep it clean and healthy and then was pulled back into a ponytail. The pony was twisted into a bun, sticking out more horizontally than the average bun. Then all of the hair, bun included, was covered liberally with a thick layer of face mud mask called Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. The hairstylists used a thick-toothed comb to brush over the clay and create the painted texture, while adding M.A.C. Rose Gold Shimmer powder. The gold powder was mixed in completely with the clay on the hair, so that all the clay became gold. The beautiful gowns and separates looked right at home with the unearthly and mystical hair and makeup look.

The presentation of the collection was in the rustic large gallery space of Eyebeam studios. There was only one row of benches in the space, and there was a smoke machine was pumping out smoke periodically throughout the presentation. The only lights in the whole gallery were the spotlights shining on each of the three spaces where the models stopped along the length of the gallery to show each look. Because those were the only lights, the audience was unable to see into the rest of the space, so it gave off the feeling that the darkness in the background could have gone on forever. The tribal music was loud and drumming, making it more than a presentation; it was more like an esoteric experience. I would almost call it spiritual, mysterious at the very least. Juan Carlos Obando really put on a small, intimate, and different show this season, really making it stand out.